1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a unitary holder for holding two CD Boxes (sometimes called jewel boxes, but the term CD Box will be used throughout this disclosure). The present invention in particular relates to individual, identical holders that can be snapped together or otherwise combined to store a plurality of CD boxes.
2. State of the Art
The sales of compact discs has been increasing by very large amounts. Compact discs have completely displaced long play records and have sales which are equivalent or greater than pre-recorded audio cassette tapes. Almost universally, the compact discs are sold in a plastic CD box. These boxes are almost identical, having a flat top, with short side walls extending downwardly from opposite sides of the flat top. These boxes further have a flat bottom, with a short side wall extending upwardly from opposite ends of the flat bottom. The flat top is pivotally attached at one of its ends to the corresponding end of the flat bottom. When the flat top is pivoted so as to be parallel with the flat bottom, a relatively thin box is formed which comprises the flat top and flat bottom spaced apart by a distance equal to the distance that the short side walls extend from the respective flat top and bottom. The short side walls form a continuous enclosed perimeter around the CD box. A hub is associated with the flat bottom and is capable of having compact disc retained on the hub and within the CD box when the flat top is moved to its closed position in which it is essentially parallel to the flat bottom.
Almost immediately from their inception, carrier trays have been used to hold a plurality of CD boxes for tidy storage of the boxes. The storage trays are rather cumbersome and individual CD boxes must be removed from the plurality of boxes stored on the tray when a compact disc is to be used. After the compact disc has been used, it is replaced in the CD box, and the box must be repositioned on the storage tray. Such trays are almost impossible to use for storage of compact discs for use in a motor vehicle, or other storage wherein a relatively few favorite compact discs are to be transported from one place to another.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,790,926 and 4,741,438 there are disclosed rigid rectangular storage boxes that have compartments for receiving either a single CD box or a dual CD box. The storage boxes of these two patents are of a defined size that holds a predetermined number of CD boxes. The CD boxes slip into and out of the compartments in the storage boxes, and a CD box must be removed from the storage box to gain access to the compact disc in the CD box. Although a limited number of favorite compact discs can be transported by the storage boxes of these two patents, it is inconvenient to gain access to any one of the compact discs, especially when the compact disc is to be used in a CD player in an automotive vehicle.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,817,792 there is disclosed a container shown in which each individual container is subdivided into a front wall portion and a rear wall portion which are interconnected by links in such a manner that opening and closing actions of the front and rear wall portions are similar to the movement of a parallelogram guide for each individual container. Each individual container is further detachably connected to an additional container, whereby a multiple filing box is obtained that can be opened and closed in concertina-like manner. Each wall portion of each individual container is adapted to hold a CD box therein in sliding engagement. Although the individual containers can be combined so as to accommodate a few favorite CD discs for portable transport such as inside an automobile, boat or other motor vehicle, the resulting block of CD boxes is rather cumbersome and it is a relatively tedious operation to remove an actual CD disc from the block. The block must be opened like a concertina so as to make a long block. The desired CD box must then be grasped and removed from the block before the CD disc can be recovered from the selected CD box. The CD box must then be returned to the block. Replacing a CD disc after use is just as tedious, comprising in essence the reverse of the above steps.
3. Objectives
A principal objective of the invention is to provide a novel, unitary holder that is capable of holding two CD boxes, wherein the holder is made of a single, unitary member that is relatively inexpensive to manufacture and can be used with an additional, identical holder to store an additional CD box for each additional holder, with each additional holder being pivotally connected to an adjacent holder through a pivot axis that is substantially coincident with the pivot axis of the cover of the CD box that is being carried by the adjacent holder, and with each additional holder further being able to engage the top cover of the CD box in the adjacent holder whereby when the additional holder, containing the additional CD box is pivoted to close the CD box of the adjacent holder, the CD boxes are stored in a neat rectangular block, with the CD boxes being held superimposed directly over each other, and when the additional holder is pivoted to open the CD box of the adjacent holder, the CD disc of that CD box is readily accessible to be removed from the block.